First and foremost I would like to thank all of you who reviewed, it really meant alot! It helped me to, hopefully ,make this chapter better and more enjoyable :) So without further introduction, ENJOY!

p.s. I'd also like to dedicate this too GrimmXEchelonXCKZJXNut! For being so awesome and helpful :)

Abbie ran her fingers carefully over what looked to be a very old ritual African tribal mask. She had one just like it back at her place in New York, except she was sure that Nate's was the real deal. Hers, however, she had bought from a sweaty man in a Hawaiian shirt, who swore up and down he'd paid top dollar for the thing. Naturally she'd paid the same. So when she had found the 'Made in China' sticker stuck strategically up the mask's nose. She'd felt really stupid for not checking it out more thoroughly before she bought it.

Sully had taught her better than to buy something impulsively just because some guy or gal said it was what it was. He'd taught her how to meticulously check every piece of merchandise, artifacts, and jewels and to do the same before you took anything to a buyer.

Abbie had learned that the hard way when she'd taken a job to take a very old, and expensive, piece of Georgian jewelry for a very wealthy buyer. It had been the first time Sully had agreed to let her do a gig on her own. Well, more like she had finally worn him down with her constant begging. She'd sworn up and down she was ready to take on a job like this herself and even when he'd finally agreed, his face had been so heavily set with lines of worry she almost wanted to tell him never mind…but she didn't.

Instead she had done the job; remembering sprinting back to sully, the adrenaline making her heart pound wildly in her chest, and imagined all the congratulatory bullshit he'd give her. Imagining even further how impressed he'd be with her.

You did one hell of a job, kid! Your mom would be proud and all kinds of other mushy stuff.

But none of that is what happened.

He'd only had to examine the necklace for a split second before he'd angrily tossed it down to the floor like it was garbage; and of course it was. The "diamonds" and "rubies" in it weren't either. The supposed diamonds were cubic zirconia and the rubies had turned out to be garnets. The worst part had been that the thick and intricate golden necklace wasn't even gold underneath. It was just silver with a painted on color. Abbie had felt her heart shatter as she watched the necklace do the same.

"It's a goddamn fake Abbie. Did you even stop to examine it before you took it?"

She lightly shook her head, getting rid of the memory, and Sully's angry words as she turned and looked at the rest of Nate's apartment. She was pretty damn positive you wouldn't find anything in his place that read 'Made in China.' His place reminded her of a Museum, but a cozy one.

Waving her over Sully took out an infamous cigar and immediately placed it to his lips.

"You really don't think you're going to be smoking that in here, do you?"

Nate's voice sounded serious but when she looked over at him his face was set in a good-humored smile.

"You let me last time," Sully replied shrugging.

"Yeah and I instantly regretted it. Couldn't get the stink of that thing out for weeks."

"I'll buy you some Febreze."

"Fe-what?"

Taking a seat in one of the three chairs at the table, Abbie watched on in amusement at the exchange.

"You mean to tell me you don't know what goddamn Febreze is?" Sully chided.

"No and why the hell do you?"

Good question.

She turned in her chair waiting for his reply and giving Nate a quick, "Thank you," as he sat down a cup in front of her.

"What? Ladies love it."

Together Nate and Abbie laughed as Nate took a quick sip from his cup.

"And that explains everything."

Sully just gave him a playful wink as he took out his lighter and quickly lit his cigar.

"Let's press on to business shall we?"

He got up from his chair and walked over to the pile of papers he'd set down after they'd arrived at Nate's. He shuffled through them mumbling to himself with his cigar already beginning to fill the space in the room. Taking the mug in her hands she brought the rim up to her lips and before taking a drink she glanced over at Nate as he fanned at the air in disgust. Her lips curled in a smile as she took a drink from the mug…and sprayed it out all over the table.

Nate called out in surprise leaning back as far against the chair as he could get.

"Hey, you alright?"

Abbie couldn't stop coughing making her throat raw as the alcohol's slow burn began to fade.

"What-What the hell was that?"

Nate leaned forward and gently started to rub her back. She quickly brushed him off and he leaned back in his chair, concern still on his face. Taking a seat back at the table Sully spread out the papers on the table, cocking an interested eyebrow in her direction.

"Since when have you not been able to handle scotch?"

Her eyes widened as she finally was able to take a breath that didn't cause her to cough uncontrollably.

"A little heads up next time would be nice."

"Eh, you can handle it."

"Thanks Victor," she grumbled.

This time Sully's eyes widened as she gave him a sour look, taking a cautious sip from her mug. Nate, still leaning back in his chair, relaxed deeper into the chair as he folded his arms amused by Abbie making Sully look like he was fumbling for words, which rarely ever happened. When no one said anything he bent forward taking one of the papers off of the table.

"So what's the plan?" he inquired.

Hearing his voice seemed to snap Sully out of whatever thoughts he was in making the older man turn to give him his full attention.

"Tomorrow we met with the employer at The Shore Club Hotel. We would've met with him two days ago but I wanted Abbie to be with us when we went."

"Whoa, Whoa wait a minute Sully. Who is this 'employer' of yours, anyway? No offense but the last couple of people you got mixed up with ended up wanting you dead."

"The guys name is Dmitry Kuznetsov. He is offering good money Nate and it's a simple job."

"There is no such thing as a simple job Sully and you know it."

"That's why you and Abbie are coming with me."

"I'm curious Sully," Abbie began softly at his side, "What Nate means by, 'wanting you dead.' What've you been getting yourself into?"

She leaned in closer to the table, completely discarding her mug all together, and giving them both an equally icy look.

"It's just a figure of speech," Sully chuckled uneasily.

He was trying to be convincing but Abbie just wasn't buying it.

"You're a lousy liar."

She turned her attention to Nate but that icy look that had made her eyes cold had now softened into a somewhat pleading expression.

"Please Nate…"

Sully let out a heavy sigh from across the table knowing that the kid was immediately done for when she'd given him those puppy dog blues. Nate, just like himself, had a weakness for women who played the damsel.

"There have just been a few close calls here and there. Nothing we couldn't handle," he replied voice confident.

Abbie wasn't buying into a word Nate was saying but she'd decided just to let it go and move on. She'd already had a feeling that if she'd pressed it that they would've both ended up banding together. She wasn't in the mood to argue so instead she just picked her coffee mug back up and swallowed down a large gulp of the strong liquid.

The room grew uncomfortably quite as all three of them sat there drinking from their mugs. It was making Nate grow antsy so immediately he brought his attention back to the job at hand.

"So do you know what it is he's after?"

Sully took in a big hit from his cigar and Nate readied himself for the large, gross cloud that followed after.

"No kid, I don't. He told me all of it would be discussed tomorrow when we met."

Huh, well that isn't what he wanted to hear.

Looking over in Abbie's direction Nate pointed at her, mug in hand, and asked playfully, "So why did we wait two extra days for her Sully?"

Sully quickly caught on to his teasing and added, "She's a specialist of sorts."

"A specialist, huh? And what's your specialty exactly?" he asked her coyly.

Letting out a snort she set down her mug.

"I'm really good with explosives; lots of practice."

"Yeah and blowing your eyebrows right off your face."

Instantly Abbie's face turned beet red and Nate couldn't resist.

"Wait you're joking," he chuckled to the other man.

Laughing himself Sully shook his head taking the cigar from his lips.

"Nope. She added too much sulfur and BAM! When I rushed in I was glad to see she wasn't hurt but damn she looked like a goddamn alien without them."

"Okay I think that's enough sharing for now," she cut in, mortified.

"I even have a picture."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh ho man I have got to see this!" Nate laughed.

"I'll have to do some digging but I should be able to find it."

Suddenly a load thump sounded as the table shook and both men laughed as Abbie had her face planted to it.

"This can't be happening," came a muffled groan.

Sully pressed his cigar back to his lips as he leaned his elbows onto the table.

"Plus I wanted to wait because I didn't want you running around without some back up, kid. Lord knows this body isn't as young as it used to be."

Nate's face dropped quickly from laughter to stone cold as Sully's words hit him hard. It seemed that somewhere along the line nowadays there always came this talk: Sully would complain about how he was getting to old for this and Nate would always talk him out of it. But these arguments were happening more often now and it was becoming harder and harder for him to talk him down. Shaking his head he waved his finger at him already feeling his lips set into a frown.

"No, no don't you start this now."

It had come out harsher than he had meant it causing Abbie to lift her head quickly from the table, looking between the both of them.

"I'm only speaking the truth Nate."

"No you aren't Sully. You can still scale walls and move faster than half of the guys I've worked with."

"Yeah and at the cost of my pride the next day. I just can't do the things I used to anymore kid. There isn't any shame in that."

"Would you stop sounding like you're an old dog who needs to be put out to pasture!"

His fists were clenched tight now as that mixture of fright and anger began to swirl together until he wasn't sure which one was which, and it turned into one big giant emotion he couldn't comprehend. He looked over in Abbie's direction, his eyes pleading with her for help but what he saw there wasn't helpful at all. She had that look, the look he knew all too well; of sadness and familiarity. She didn't like it anymore than he did but she also wasn't fighting it; she was accepting it.

He was angrier now than he had been a few minutes ago and in getting up as fast as he did, sent his chair crashing to the floor.

"Nate-"Sully tried but he wasn't hearing it.

He quickly made his way inside his bedroom and slammed the door shut behind him.

So...what do you guys think of it so far?

Reviews would definitely be appreciated :))

As well as any questions, comments, Concerns?

Thank you all so much for reading!

~Jeneane~